Business as usual
by Aidsneedyou
Summary: Remus start working in a bookshop and finds himself falling for the hot boss. But that is not the biggest problem for The Marauders' Bookshop...  AU RL/SB
1. Prologue

"Reeemus"

I continue reading. He sighs.

"Remus, if you don't answer I can get you fired, you know this."

I lower my book and give him an annoyed smile. Working in a bookshop had been a dream come true. The very annoying boss however, was not part of this dream. The very annoying, extremely hot boss. Also very straight.

"What do you want Sirius?"

"I want you to talk to me!" Except for the occasional drop-in, Sirius only was in the store on Mondays but he had recently taken to coming in more often than before.

"Can't you talk to someone else and let me read?"

"Who else? No one is here!" It was true. Bookstores at Thursdays in the morning wasn't many persons hang out-places, except the occasional elder, but not even Mrs. Hanson was here to kill some time this morning.

"Maybe you should talk to one of your friends. Or girlfriends." The last remark was said with a smirk. I had seen one too many of his lady-friends not to notice that there was no way he could actually be faithful to all of them.

"Funny thing is, not a single one of those people are here! And, I want to talk to you! Tell me more about the mysterious Remus!" His affectionate smile is spreading across his face and makes my stomach make a flip. He really is too beautiful to be true. No wonder girls are always throwing themselves at him.

I think about his question. What is there to know about me? Of course, not the things he would find the most exciting, it probably wouldn't be good for business to have a gay man working in the store. But it was he wanted to know, I was sure of it. It had finally dawned on him that I stared too much on his muscled arms or looked a little bit too impressed when he straddled his motorcycle. Not that his motorcycle wasn't impressing, but I would definitely be more impressed if he were to straddle me…

"Hellooo, earth to Remus!" A piece of crumbled paper swooshed next to my head.

"Well, what do you want to know then?" I asked. If he, for some reason, would ask, then I supposed I just had to tell the truth. Not about the crush I seemed to have developed on him, but about my preferences, sure. I didn't think he would mind, not really. Under the time I had gotten to know him, nothing seems to point in the direction of homophobia. Of course, this isn't a subject that comes up so often.

"I want to know about this!" And with reflexes way too fast, he snatched my arm and in seconds had the shirt rolled up. "Look at these scars! Where you really that depressed?"

I stare at my own arm and almost completely forgotten memories raced through my brain.

Seeing how I, once again, started to lose focus on the real world I guess I couldn't blame Sirius for doing it. But it still hurt! He had taken hold on my arm with both his hands and swiftly rotated them, one hand left and the other right.

"Did you just do that? You're such a child!"

"Well, you are the one zoning off all the time!" Well, I can't really argue about that.

"I don't like talking about it." I took my arm back and rolled down the sleeve again.

"Just say so then, instead of going into dreamland!"

A few angry glances back and forth until Sirius can't be quiet for any longer.

"Tell me something else!"

"What do you want to know? I don't want to sit here and tell you my life story."

"Fine. How about your parents?" Quick to adapt to the crumbs he's getting from me. Never unhappy, that's what I lov- liked about him. Liked. No matter how nice he was, or how nice he looked, you can't very well date your boss. If nothing else because then his girls, sweeping in here to yell, simply kiss him or the occasional slap, would hurt my feelings even more. No Sirius Black for me.

I don't care if he thinks that I stare. It's not my fault that he's being bloody good-looking, with a mysterious background and sexy scars to boot. In fact, when I see it like that, it's actually HIS fault that I'm staring at him! How very rude wouldn't I be if I did not do what his entire presence told me too? Clearly I had been out of my mind when I hired him. Even if he was a much better salesman than Peter ever had been. It also was fortunate to be rid of Peter, much longer with him would have caused my head to explode and him in tears. So it was the best for everyone that James managed to get Lily knocked up, making his parents seeking new employment.

And that's when Remus had entered their lifes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello dear readers. A bit late note, simply saying:**

**NO, I don't have a beta. And English is not my first language, so please don't think I'm stupid?3**

"Remus! Come join us!"

I roll my eyes. Seriously.

"You have no idea why you hired me, have you? If I were to go and have lunch with you no one will be here to take care of the customers. You know, these people who come in here and buy things? Pay for rent and other essentials?"

Sirius face fell. Of course he knew that, he wasn't a complete idiot! I couldn't help getting scared that I surpassed some kind of line. I really couldn't get fired now, I barely had managed to stay on my landlords' good side for the months I've actually had been working!

"I know that! But no one is coming in now anyway, so it is okay if we both have lunch! You have to come, Lily and Harry will be there too!"

I couldn't help but to smile. Of course I would join, all of the Potters were adorable. Since I've started working on The Marauders Bookshop I have gotten to know the owners of the store's closest to ours really well. One example was Sirius' good friend James, his wife Lily and their newborn Harry. On the days Sirius wasn't in he mostly spent his lunch with Peter, which was a decent guy if somewhat slow. He always had a good story about James and Sirius in their schooldays as well, if Sirius or James heard him they would always tell it from their point of view which often rendered the rest of them speechless from laughter.

"So, have you guys heard the rumors?" Lily gives us a hesitant look while trying to coax Harry to open his mouth again. I don't notice the look as I am having a staring contest with my lunch, trying desperately to keep my eyes of a certain persons' revealed cleavage. Sirius had close to none of these qualms.

"Which? The ones about Peter dating that girl working in Snivellus Grease-store?"

Two disapproving stares made Sirius start his own competition with his chicken. Literally. I have never seen a man with so much trouble cutting up a chicken.

"No!" Lily responds after moving away from Sirius flaying cutleries. "I'm talking about your family!"

"My family?" Both Sirius and I exclaim, causing several minutes of confused stares between everyone at the table, Harry excluded, but soon Lily gets through that she meant the Blacks.

"Apparently they have gotten behind Riddles business proposal about the mall. If more influential persons get behind it we all have to look for employment elsewhere…"

"They are just doing this to be evil! They don't really care about what Riddle does as long as Bella gets lots of money for being his "secretary"." Now the chicken seemed in danger of getting shredded rather than flung at harmless by passers. Lily and I exchanged stares and quickly moved into other, nicer things, like baby vomit and never getting sleep.

"Oh, someone's trying to buy from you. I should get up." I scrambled to get my things together before the customer saw the, slightly rude, note Sirius had put up.

"No, no, you sit here and go through with Evans why my family sucks." Before I had a chance to comprehend who Evans was, Sirius had left his things to chat up the middle aged woman outside his store.

"So, no one mentioned Sirius' family to you?"

"Well, no, not really. I mean, I do know some things about the Blacks." Things that had made me terrified of entering a store owned by their heir. They supposedly treated employers like slaves and also _preferred_ child labor since it was cheaper.

"Well, as I hope you have noticed Sirius isn't actually like them. Sirius started going in a different direction when he accidently ended up in the same dormitory as my husband. After his sixteenth birthday he went to stay with James even in the summers, cutting all connections with his family. Then he got a job here, at the Marauders, then owned by the Prewett brothers. They are the same kind as James and Sirius, hopeless and pranking everybody. Needless to say it was no surprise that Sirius was promoted supervisor over the shop when they expanded to U.S. Sirius' parents have been trying to get him fired from his post ever since they realized that their son was being the laughing stock of their social ranks."

"And now they are getting behind this Riddle guy? Just to get Sirius fired? But it will ruin the life of everybody who is working here!"

"I'm surprised that you even heard about his business proposal. I had to explain it to James and Peter just this morning!"

"Oh, I like to keep myself updated on things like this. Shouldn't James be aware that Riddle is trying to change this place into one of his superstores? I thought his parents owned that store!"

"Yes, but they have always been kind of overprotective about him. Single child."

SB/RL/SB/RL

From the counter I could see Lily trying to cram in my life story in a few breaths which in the best case scenario would grant me some sympathy and in the worst, he would hate me for endangering everyone's jobs. I really thought the first one would be it, Remus really wasn't that kind of guy to go mad at people. When the old lady had left I thought about staying in the shop to get even/more on the plus side. That was, until I saw Shacklebolt seating himself all to close to Remus. Oh no, he wouldn't was the most prominent thought running through my head as I forcefully ran back to my seat on Remus' left side.

"… And then I forced him down until the police came." Shacklebolt reached for his drink, while flexing his muscles in Remus' face. I had just arrived in time to hear the end of his hero-tale. Like it was such a big deal to help arrest a mugger. I had done tons of more exciting things in my life! I proceeded to tell Remus this, when I told him to get back in the shop and earn some money. Myself, I sat back to have a bit of a conversation with the dear Shackley. But before I even had time to start;

"So you decided you swing both ways again? No surprise there. Once a faggot, always a faggot." Both Shacklebolt and I turned our heads at whiplash speed. "Oh, it's even both of you. How truly disgusting."

"Knock it out Sev, Remus is a really nice guy. I swear, if I wasn't taken and he wasn't so obvious _homosexual,_", pointed look at Snivellus, "I would happily go for him myself."

Going from the clenching of poor Snivellys cup of coffee, this was not what he wanted to hear. Giving Shack and me another hard glare, he stormed of without even saying another word to Lily.

A moment of silence, before Shackley coughed politely and excused himself. Not in the mood to lecture him about keeping his hands away from my Remus, I simply slumped back in the chair, in a way of suggesting that Lily could start her advise giving and caring for me at any moment now.

"Kingsley really would be much better for him, you know."

Again with the whiplashing! No wonder she and Snivelly was so close, they obviously shared a hatred for my poor neck.

"How can you say such thing! Your husband is my best friend!"

"And this facts collide how exactly?"

"As James' soul mate you clearly should be more positive to me rather than to Shacklemonster!"

Stupid women and their ability to not understand simple best friend-logic.

"Oh. Then I suppose that I should point out that Kingsley went to ask Remus out before you ruined his chances, rather than going to his store like you thought he were."

Damn, that woman has a pokerface people would kill for! Turning around, not to quickly, I did saw Kingsley leaning over MY counter to speak to MY Remus. And now he was putting his big monster hand on his arm as well! Sexual harassment!

"Wait a second," I turn back to Lily, realizing that storming over now could not prevent this. "I _saw_ him go to his store, he went that way!"

Lily rolled her eyes and stood up to slowly, slowly put the now sleeping Harry into his baby carriage.

"He did, then as far as I get it, he went down with the escalator then up by the stairs behind you and then proceeded to sneak into your store. Really, Sirius, you should pay more attention."

RL/SB/RL/SB

"Really, Kingsley, I'm just not sure if dating would be such a good idea right now. And what if it didn't work out? It would be very awkward at lunch."

"Awh, Remus, don't be like that. If you don't take risks, than you really shouldn't work here you know. The Prewetts are known for that!"

"For dating men against their better judgment?" I raised my eyebrows at him. He chuckled. He really was kind of sweet. No Sirius, of course. No hair, which was really something I liked. But sweet, kind and rather funny. With all the girls coming in to meet up with Sirius, I probably don't have a shot anyway. And really, there was some time since I last was on a date. "Well, I suppose saying no could be as bad as saying yes in question about the environment on work after today."

"Was that a yes?"

"I suppose." I blushed. And felt rather bad for thinking that Sirius probably would have forced me to speak real English. "You don't think Sirius will mind, do you?"

For some reason, this caused him to laugh out-right for several minutes, before hurriedly assuring me that he wouldn't mind. Kingsley then slowly caressed my arm before adding that he should be leaving, but that he could pick me up at eight tonight. With a fierce butterfly army in my stomach I accepted and told him the location of my flat. He winked at me and left.

Three seconds afterwards Sirius stomped in, muttered about me needing to take care of the shop alone today and then stomping off again. I didn't even dare to analyze if this behavior could have anything to do with the recent developments between me and Kingsley. Almost certainly some chick had tried to talk him into a second date on his lunch break, or Lily had tried to make him stop being mean to Snape, a clerk who worked in a shop for cell phones and whom I had seen stark away from their table just minutes ago. All plausible things to make Sirius mad on a normal day. Except this was the day Kingsley asked me out. On a date! A gay date! These butterfly feelings didn't last long when I remembered that Sirius should have wanted to rant to me about these things, but as it was, he had just stormed off.

"You really should stop thinking about him all the time, you know." a voice interrupted my thoughts. "You don't want him to think of you as needy. But I'm glad he finally had the guts to ask you. It was him you were thinking about, right?"

"Hmm?" I turn to the rather chubby boy who was smiling happily at me.

"News travel fast here, Remus. Kingsley! I should warn you, he is a bit of a player. But rumors has it that he's looking for someone to settle down with." Another wink. Really, this is kind of weird.

"Really now?" I chuckle a little, trying to hide my blush. Then I notice that Peter is holding his lunch, and realize embarrassed that I've totally forgotten about him. "Oh, Peter, I'm so sorry, Sirius bullied me into having lunch with him and Lily today!"

I winced as Peter lost his cheery smile for a moment before almost immediately come up with a new, not as bright smile. "It's okay, I'm kind of used to it anyway."

"Maybe if you could eat in here…?"

"Really Remus, it's okay. I can sit with Severus, I think I have somewhat managed to get him to accept me."

I winced again as I thought about Snape who generally tormented Peter whenever he could.

"Peter, don't, just come and sit here, please?"

I really couldn't help feeling awful for forgetting the other boy. He really was the closest to a friend I had here. Sirius was way too busy, too changeable, too… attractive, to be counted as a good friend. I had James, occasionally, but he barely had time with Sirius these days, so he was not either to be counted on much. I also know that Peter felt the same way, which made this blunder even worse.

"It really isn't necessary." Peter pointed out while taking a seat in the kid's corner. They had a bean bag he really was rather fond of.

SB/RL/SB/RL

"So, Evans is trying to ruin my life."

"Evans is my wife now. You could call her many things. Lily, Potter, Lily Potter, love of my best friends' life, mother of the most amazing person of earth, scalding hot mil…"

"Finish that internet expression and I _will_ cut you." Lily Potter threatened her husband while trying to wipe the most amazing person of earth's butt. She had never looked as scary to me.

"You don't even know what she has done!" I sulked. I admit it. But really, shouldn't he be on my side?

"Actually, I do. She saved little Lupin from your straight claws."

"She did not! And stop looking so smug just because you got to tell your version first!" I instinctively threw a piece of bread on her. That really isn't a good idea to do to a mum.

"Stop that! She is trying to take care of my sunshine!" James then proceeded to get up and take Harry from his raging mother, which really was the best. God knows what she could have done with him, being so angry and all.

"But she made him date Shacklebolt! James! You can't think that's fair, do you?" I followed him out to the kitchen in an attempt to make him look at it from my point of view. And also too get further away from Crazy Mother.

"I really think Remus is old enough to know who he wants to date."

"But if he did, he clearly would have chosen me! As it was, I didn't even get a chance to enter the competition before your _wife_ gave me red card!"

"Bad metaphor but I will go with you. It still was Remus' call. You should have asked him sooner."

"Bu you!" turning to Lily this time, since clearly, my case isn't going as well as I thought it would. "Always says it is sexism to call dibs on humans!"

She didn't answer me. Instead she fell down to the couch in the living room and simply waved me away. Really! The support in this family!

"Sirius, really. Just ask him out if you think you will not hurt him. He really seems like a nice guy, and who else will you hire if he's gone?"

I sighed and collapse next to Lily. She punched me, completely unmotivated and then simply asked.

"So? Will you hurt him?"

I sigh as I close the door. Because to tell the truth, I hadn't been able to answer Lily. I really had no idea if I would manage not to hurt Remus. My history with girls didn't really put in a good word for me, and unfortunately I had finished quite a lot of them in Remus' presence. It wasn't a wonder that he would choose Kingsley over me, even though, as James pointed out, he hadn't chosen. He simply had taken what was offered. Maybe he would choose me if it really came down to it, I pondered restlessly as I took a beer out of my fridge. Lily's no-alcohol policy was driving me mad at these family dinners. Just because she couldn't drink doesn't mean that no one else could! Like me. Or James. He would need to loosen up some.

Remus should definitely need some loosening up. If I were to ask him out I would take him dancing. Or maybe a dinner first, to make sure he wasn't uncomfortable with pressing very, very hard against his boss, grinding and slowly moving to the beat of our joined hearts.

Did I just think joined hearts? I haven't sprouted this kind of nonsense since Amelia and I broke up… Time to go to bed.


End file.
